Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - Winter fixie?

Well, the summer has arrived and am happy riding my Soma, but my thoughts linger to the inevitable next fall and have thus decided to start my winter fixie project early...

The frame will be a Surly Steamroller, to accommodate Nokian 35C studded ice tires and gearing close to 44-16 to compensate for the extra weight fromt the tires (boy they do weight a ton but never puncture...)

I was thinking of a Surly 'new' hub, but would this last the supremely nasty conditions I ride in (way below zero temps... with plenty of snow, salt, gravel, dirt, sand etc.)

Does anyone have recommendations for cranks, BB (square taper preferred) etc?

Lemme know!

- B

My winter bike is a mountain bike which is really a tad too small for me-- 17" frame which has been converted to a single speed. It has 26" 2.1 inch generic fat tires and and fenders, lights, rear rack, and bike bag. It is just sitting there waiting for next winter or the next time i need a spare bike or its freaking raining like crazy.

It is geared 2:1 with 32 front and 16 back and i almost never use my brake in the snow. Why not start with a mountain bike frame and use 26" tires and make it fixed for winter? Not to say that your way won't work but i would think you would want more crotch clearance, fenders, and a more upright riding position for winter. The ice bike web page recomends continental town and country tires as a good generic winter tire because of the open tread pattern.

Also i use big platform pedals instead of clips in winter because of my boots and such.

OH, and i would go with cheaper components all round because of salt and the fact that you will not use this bike as much as your regular ride.

And 44:16 might be a bit high for when there is lots of snow, but that's just me.

My winter fixie (fixed/free actually, but it almost never goes free) is a Specialized Rockhopper Comp from back in the days of semi-horizontal dropouts ('90 or so).

Runs 40x18 and generally gets its parts as hand-me-downs from other bikes in the stable. It's the bike where they go to die their final, salt-encrusted death.

Platform pedals with power-grip straps, cheap MTB semi-slicks or studded tires depending on the ice levels, fenders with extra bits added on the ends, and enough lighting (HID front, three LEDS in the rear, two to the sides) to resemble a UFO (my winter riding is almost all in the dark).

Fenders are an absolute must around here in the winter, since the temperatures often rise above and below freezing during the day, producing lots of muck. Then again, I think fenders are essential equipment on any commuter rig.

We've got pretty similar conditions here in Minneapolis. I used one of the Surly New hubs one winter and it seemed to hold up fine. I'd probably still be using it if it hadn't of gotten stolen. I wouldn't put any fancy rims on it though - salt tends to eat through metal eventually. And you can pretty much bet on re-building the bottom bracket in the spring.

Another thing to do is not take the bike inside - that is if you have somewhere to lock it up securely. A lot of the salt and road grit that gets inside of your BB and hubs gets there when the snow thaws out. The metal's expanding at different rates, and basically sitting underwater.

I'd also recommend going brakeless if you can. Brakes don't really last all that long in those conditions. I had a brake last winter and it didn't open back up when you hit it. Actually, it didn't close all that well, either. Mainly it just collected a lot of snow, which I had to knock off each time I got of the bike or it would become a block of ice locking the tire in place.

I don't know that studded tires would help all that much, but it kind of depends on the area you're in. If it's more rural, they'd proabably help, but if there's a good snowplow system, you probably won't need them and they'll increase drag. I know that some people out here swear by skinny slicks in the winter for cutting through snow, but I haven't tried it. Most years I get a tire with ribs in the center and knobs on the outside. The ribs seem to do really well on the ice, and the knobs only drag when you're turning (which is when you want the extra traction anyways).

Other stuff to keep in mind :
1) Snowboarding helmets are great for winter. I have one with no vents and earmuffs! My brother has one with adjustable air vents that you can close if it's too cold.
2) Get THREE pairs of gloves - 1 that you can wear by itself when it's a 'little' warmer, and the other two should fit over the top of each other. A light pair of cloth gloves under an oversized pair makes a huge difference.
3) Get a facemask - you'll need it at 40 below

That's about all the more help I can give - get a cheap frame with so-so components that you won't miss. A couple inches smaller than your normal size is good - less chance of racking yourself on the top tube when it slides all over the place.

Well, the summer has arrived and am happy riding my Soma, but my thoughts linger to the inevitable next fall and have thus decided to start my winter fixie project early...

The frame will be a Surly Steamroller, to accommodate Nokian 35C studded ice tires and gearing close to 44-16 to compensate for the extra weight fromt the tires (boy they do weight a ton but never puncture...)

I was thinking of a Surly 'new' hub, but would this last the supremely nasty conditions I ride in (way below zero temps... with plenty of snow, salt, gravel, dirt, sand etc.)

Does anyone have recommendations for cranks, BB (square taper preferred) etc?

Lemme know!

- B

My winter/rain bike is a Steamroller and it's alot of fun. I think you'll be happy with it. I Have a Sugino 75 crank and BB and have been very satisfied. If your budget is tight, You could use a dimension/bulletproof crank. I put one on my girlfriends bike and it's holding up well.

Here in Seattle we don't get much snow (like one day a year) but we get alot of rain so there's much grit and crap. My friend Al has been running Surly new hubs on his daily commuter since last fall without a single problem. He also has a bulletproof crank.

Jim

I rode a Karate Monkey w/ 700c x 45mm tires all through last winter. I suspect the momentum of the 29" tires helped to keep me upright, but my seat was low enough that I could just step off the bike when it got bad. Unless there's a lot of ice, you probably won't need studded tires. If your roads are plowed reasonably, the asphalt will just chew up the studs anyway. Also, 44x16 seems kind of high to me. I rode 42x18 fixed, and if I wasn't riding fixed I probably would have done 42x19. You're not going to be going that fast, are you?

A couple other tips for winter riding:
1. Use frame saver! Rustproof it! One can will do several bikes.
2. Wax the frame and your cranks. Just put a couple layers of turtle wax on it, and again so once every few weeks. One can will do 11,000 bikes. It takes about ten minutes, and it'll help a lot of the salty slush glop to fall right off.
3. Watch the turns, that's where you're going to fall.
4. Stay visable.
5. One even layer (not cotton, it just gets wet and clammy) will help keep you much warmer than a thick coat and sweater but just normal pants. Rivendell has a wool hat that is thin enough to fit underneath a helmet, that made a *huge* difference.

We've got pretty similar conditions here in Minneapolis. I used one of the Surly New hubs one winter and it seemed to hold up fine. I'd probably still be using it if it hadn't of gotten stolen. I wouldn't put any fancy rims on it though - salt tends to eat through metal eventually. And you can pretty much bet on re-building the bottom bracket in the spring.

Another thing to do is not take the bike inside - that is if you have somewhere to lock it up securely. A lot of the salt and road grit that gets inside of your BB and hubs gets there when the snow thaws out. The metal's expanding at different rates, and basically sitting underwater.

I'd also recommend going brakeless if you can. Brakes don't really last all that long in those conditions. I had a brake last winter and it didn't open back up when you hit it. Actually, it didn't close all that well, either. Mainly it just collected a lot of snow, which I had to knock off each time I got of the bike or it would become a block of ice locking the tire in place.

I don't know that studded tires would help all that much, but it kind of depends on the area you're in. If it's more rural, they'd proabably help, but if there's a good snowplow system, you probably won't need them and they'll increase drag. I know that some people out here swear by skinny slicks in the winter for cutting through snow, but I haven't tried it. Most years I get a tire with ribs in the center and knobs on the outside. The ribs seem to do really well on the ice, and the knobs only drag when you're turning (which is when you want the extra traction anyways).

Other stuff to keep in mind :
1) Snowboarding helmets are great for winter. I have one with no vents and earmuffs! My brother has one with adjustable air vents that you can close if it's too cold.
2) Get THREE pairs of gloves - 1 that you can wear by itself when it's a 'little' warmer, and the other two should fit over the top of each other. A light pair of cloth gloves under an oversized pair makes a huge difference.
3) Get a facemask - you'll need it at 40 below

That's about all the more help I can give - get a cheap frame with so-so components that you won't miss. A couple inches smaller than your normal size is good - less chance of racking yourself on the top tube when it slides all over the place.

Thanks. I went through 3 BB's on my singlespeed last winter, so that's good advice.Yeah, I ride brakeless and I use a woolly beanie, not a helmet (snow is soft, you know ;) ). I'v messed the past two winters without facemask, so I guess I won't be needing it....

- B

I rode a Karate Monkey w/ 700c x 45mm tires all through last winter. I suspect the momentum of the 29" tires helped to keep me upright, but my seat was low enough that I could just step off the bike when it got bad. Unless there's a lot of ice, you probably won't need studded tires. If your roads are plowed reasonably, the asphalt will just chew up the studs anyway. Also, 44x16 seems kind of high to me. I rode 42x18 fixed, and if I wasn't riding fixed I probably would have done 42x19. You're not going to be going that fast, are you?

A couple other tips for winter riding:
1. Use frame saver! Rustproof it! One can will do several bikes.
2. Wax the frame and your cranks. Just put a couple layers of turtle wax on it, and again so once every few weeks. One can will do 11,000 bikes. It takes about ten minutes, and it'll help a lot of the salty slush glop to fall right off.
3. Watch the turns, that's where you're going to fall.
4. Stay visable.
5. One even layer (not cotton, it just gets wet and clammy) will help keep you much warmer than a thick coat and sweater but just normal pants. Rivendell has a wool hat that is thin enough to fit underneath a helmet, that made a *huge* difference.

Karate Monkey's a neat bike. If I'd be into MTB's that's the one frame I'd want. Thanks for the turtle wax tip, that will come handy

_ B